190 Cleaning and protection
Automatic car wash
Th e ve hicl e can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so du rable that t he ve hicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash . However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de
sig n of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
wate r, the type of wash and care mater ia l, etc.
If th e p aint ha s a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi
ately.
If necessary, use a different car wash.
Th e power top does no t require special pre
cautions be fore passing through a car wash.
However , the car mu st not be treated with
hot wa x after the wash cycle!
The wax could
adversely affect the power top and even dam
age the fabric ove r a period of time.
The power top does not have to be washed ev
e ry time you use a car wash . The power top
can be spared if the car wash facility is equ ip
ped with manually adjustable roof brushes or
rollers.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precaut ions such as clos ing the
windows . Remove antenna if applicable.
I f yo u have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, etc. - it is best to
ask the car wash operator i f these should be
removed.
On ly use car washes where the vehi cle re
mains stationary and the cleaning equipment
moves around the vehicle wh ile washing and
drying. It is not recommended to use car
washes where the vehicle is moved forward on
a conveyer.
A WARNING
- Always read and heed all WAR NIN GS and
ot he r i nforma tio n
¢ page 189.
(D Note
- Before wash ing the ve hicle in an auto
matic ca r wash, please make su re to re
tract the exter ior mir rors to prevent
them from be ing damaged .
- Compare the w idth of yo ur vehicle with
the width of the tunne l at the facility.
- Compa re the track of yo ur vehicle with
the distance between the g uide rails of
the facility -there is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and tires.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi
cle by hand.
.,. Before yo u start washing, ma ke s ure you
have read a nd understood the WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off .
.,. As you clean yo ur vehicle, start w ith t he roof
and wo rk your way down to t he bo ttom, us
ing a sponge, a s ponge g love or a clean
br ush .
.,. Rinse the s ponge o r th e sponge g love o ften,
flushi ng it clean eac h time .
.,. Use spec ia l car shampoo only for very persis
tent dirt .
.,. Rinse the car t ho roughly with water.
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently wipe the ex-
t er ior d ry .
U se a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door s ills and othe r regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, yo u w ill not scratch
t h e pa int w ith coarse pa rticles imb edded in
t h e sponge the next time you wash t he ca r.
A WARNING
- W ash your vehicl e only when the ign ition
is swi tched o ff to re duce the r isk o f a
crash .
- Always re ad and heed a ll WA RNIN GS and
o ther in fo rm ation
¢ page 1 89 .
198 Cleaning and protection
8_ WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to deploy.
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 189.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the material and can change the
way it behaves.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu al characteristics and appearance. If the sur
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, skin folds , and subtle variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather. By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable.
This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soil
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care
ful with these leathers, and a certain type of care is required . For example , dark clothing
materials can discolor leather seats (especial
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a relatively
long time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from bleaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
(D Tips
-After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather
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214 Checking and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly
col-basedcoolant additive G13 antifreeze with
anticorrosion add itives (50% for USA models;
60% for Canadian models). This mixtu re both
assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine 's
cooling system from corrosion and scaling. It
also raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 ° F ( - 3 S °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ~
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 207.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli
mate conditions . This is especially impor
tant if you live in a region where the win
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in- crease the
proportion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using on ly coolant ad
ditive G12++ or G13 for your vehicle.
This coolant additive is availab le at au
thor ized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor
rosion protection. The resulting corro
sion cah cause a loss of coolant and se
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant .
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Veh icle
Limited Warranty.
· Checking the engine coolant level and
adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Fig. 180 E n g in e compart men t: Cover on the coo la nt
expansio n tan k
Fig. 181 En g in e compart men t: markings in the coo la n t
expansion tank
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